Platyceps najadum
| Platyceps najadum | |
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| Scientific classification | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Reptilia |
| Order: | Squamata |
| Suborder: | Serpentes |
| Family: | Colubridae |
| Genus: | Platyceps |
| Species: | P. najadum |
| Binomial name | |
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Platyceps najadum (Eichwald, 1831) |
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| Synonyms | |
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Platyceps najadum, known commonly as Dahl's whip snake, is a species of snake in the genus Platyceps of the family Colubridae.
Platyceps najadum was first described by Karl Eichwald in 1831, as Tyria najadum.
Platyceps najadum is found in the Balkans, Aegean, Cyprus, the Mid-East, and as far as Turkmenistan and the Caucasus Mountains.
P. najadum occurs in dry and xeric environments in a wide range of habitats: in desert and rocky land, in forests, woodland scrub, and agricultural land from sea level to 2,000 m (6,600 ft) altitude. It is commonly found in fields, and seen crushed on roads.
P. najadum has a slim body, and is rarely over a metre (39 inches) in total length (including tail).
P. najadum is threatened by direct persecution, forest fires and intensive agriculture, where its range interacts with human interests.
P. najadum is an egg laying species. Females lay between 3 and 16 eggs in a clutch.
Five or six subspecies are identified.
Nota bene: A trinomial authority in parentheses indicates that the subspecies was originally described in a genus other than Platyceps.
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Wikipedia